I am here to find out how much more difficult is salt water and what
do i need to get started.

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Welcome to MASA adriaand !

Well the word "difficult" is very relative.

I'll give you an example :

When you didn't know anything about bicycles or how to ride them , you considered it difficult. Now that you have been riding though and understand a bit more about the dynamics of a bicycle , you don't find it that difficult.

Same with Marines. It can be daunting at first and you may feel overwhelmed by everything you read, advise given to you etc.

IMO however it is an intensely rewarding hobby which will bring you much pleasure.
The trick is to take it slow , do your research , be diligent and disciplined in your approach ... oh yes and ask lot's of questions to the MASA members .

A very WARM WELCOME to MASA Adriaan! Most of us reefers started out with tropical tanks, at some stage!

Please have a look around MASA - espcially the other "New Members" threads, and also the "Member's Setups and Tanks" threads.
See if you can identify what you want to achieve.
Ask as many questions as you need to - there's no such thing as "a stupid question".
Also - PLEASE NOTE: THE BIGGEST REQUIREMENT IN KEEPING MARINES: PATIENCE! And a lot of it....

Welcome to MASA Adriaand. Hope you enjoy your stay with us and learn and read a lot. Ask as many Q's as you need to - we are all here to share experiences and learn from each other

Some tips for newbies:1.Evaporation top-ups are done with RO water only, not saltwater2.Please don't keep tangs in a nano - they need lots of swimming space3.Anemones need mature tanks to thrive and clown fish don't need anemones to survive4. "Dilution is the solution to polution" - Anthony Calfo

Answers:
1) the size tank will depend on your budget, and what you want. You should remember the following:
= a nano tank (smaller than 120 litres) is cheaper to set up, but far more maintenance intensive. It can also crash quicker. You cannot keep as many fish or corals in it. It is generically more difficult to "upgrade" (to add skimmers/lighting)... The nano also USUALLY does not have a sump, and is REQUIRED to have the water changed VERY often.
= a "medium sized tank" (or the most common tanks) are 1.2 metre tanks - usually between 350 and 500 litres. They USUALLY have sumps, and you can add skimmers to these tanks. Lighting can be a combination of T5 high output fluorescents (where the T5 denominates the size in thickness, of the fluorescent tube) only, OR metal halides (double ended or single ended - being most commonly either 150 watt double ended, or 250 watt single ended) - OR a combination of the 2 (this is the MOST common configuration). The bigger tank equates to more water - the more water, the more stable the tank's water5 chemistry).
= then you can go the "big range" - starting at about 1.8 metre or 2 metre tanks.....
Just remember that the bigger the tank, the bigger the skimmer requirement, the more lighting, the more life rock is needed, and the more corals/fish is needed to make the tank "look full"...
BUT - these big tanks are also the most stable and the most "forgiving" when it comes to die-off in the tank (keeps the water parameters the most stable)....
2) what skimmer? I would start off by suggesting that this depends on what you want to keep, and what size your tank is.
A very good range of skimmers to start off with, is the ReefTek or ReefOctopus ranges of skimmers. I have just recently upgraded by buying a Bubble Magus skimmer. These too seems quite good skimmers (new in SA)... The size of the skimmer depends purely on whether you want to keep Fish ONLY, Fish/Corals combo, or MOSTLY corals.... (the size skimmer will increase exponentially - from left to right)....
There are also other very decent, "brand name" skimmers that are quite a bit more expensive: ie. Deltec (very good - most likely some of the "top of the range" skimmers), Bubble King (some of the most expensive), Bubble Master (also quite expensive), Tunze, Aqua Medic...
3) You are MORE than welcome!

Well to answer question one the bigger the better and more forgiving but also cost a bit more$$$$ all depending on what equipment you deside to go with, but remember never skimp on equipment as it could cost you double at the end of the day and always ask here on the forum before you rush off and go bye, never believe every thing the LFS tells you

Well to answer question one the bigger the better and more forgiving but also cost a bit more$$$$ all depending on what equipment you deside to go with, but remember never skimp on equipment as it could cost you double at the end of the day and always ask here on the forum before you rush off and go bye, never believe every thing the LFS tells you

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someone got knocked before...

Some tips for newbies:1.Evaporation top-ups are done with RO water only, not saltwater2.Please don't keep tangs in a nano - they need lots of swimming space3.Anemones need mature tanks to thrive and clown fish don't need anemones to survive4. "Dilution is the solution to polution" - Anthony Calfo

you have already got some excellent replies from experienced reefers.....

My suggestion is to go and have a look at some of the members setups and tell us what you are trying to achieve, then we can help you from there.

There are 4 types of systems you can have, each with a different set of requirements and associated costs.

The first is a fish only tank with live rock .... this is in theory the easiest and least expensive, although i suspect you will want to upgrade to a coral setup soon after this.

Then there are three types of corals.... softies, LPS and SPS... these are the other 3 types of marine tanks you can have (most of us have a combination of these corals)..... most reefers start with softies and as their experience grows they move onto LPS and SPS..... this also means that the cost is spread over time.. softies are the easiest to keep and are not too demanding on equipment ..... LPS and SPS are more complicated and more expensive (but most reefers tend to get drawn into LPS and SPS in time anyway)

Basic equipment you will need for a soft coral tank with some fish and perhaps an LPS or two would be the following (assuming you take the 1.5 to 1.8m tank you refer to ...

Skimmer something like a TS2 .... although you may have to go bigger
heater
3ft sump (DIY)
return pump
2x seio M1100's
some sort of DIY carbon reactor and possibly a Phos reactor.
for Softies T5 lighting should be fine .... but for that size tank you will need to run at least 6.
thats about it for the hardware aside from some minor extra's

then there are things like
salt
DSB material
RO Machine
live rock

and of course the corls and fish themselves.

The more you know, the more you know, you don't know........ in life and marines

welcome to masa adriaand, great that you are asking questions before you get the tank. its what i did and saved a HUGE amount down the line. I managed to get a good 1.8 and set up cheaper than some guys i know who have a 150l tank in total. So if you take your time we can help you lots